The present invention relates to an armrest for use in vehicles such as automobiles and one whose height varies as a function of a side impact force to provide safety to an occupant.
Armrests for use between seats in vehicles typically pivot between a raised, stored position and a lowered, use position. In many vehicles, such armrests are relatively large having a generally square cross-sectional shape such that the width of the armrest and its height are substantially the same. In modern compactly designed vehicles, it is difficult to incorporate large bulky armrests as used in larger, earlier vintage vehicles. In newer vehicles, therefore, the armrests tend to be smaller and thinner and as a result, in the event of a vehicle accident, the occupant, if accelerated laterally against the side of an armrest could be seriously injured. To prevent such injury, it is necessary for the armrest to present at least a two-inch height along a major portion of its length so that it provides protection for the vehicle occupant as required in the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. Accordingly armrests, even those employed in compactly designed vehicles, must have a vertical height which is sufficient to meet this safety requirement. The result in some vehicles is an ungainly appearing armrest.
Ultra-thin armrests of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/914,791 filed on Jul. 16, 1992, and entitled ARTICULATED ARMREST provides an armrest which rotates downwardly from a generally vertical plane when in a raised, stored position to a horizontal use position in which the armrest lies in a generally horizontal plane. In this position, the edge or height dimension can be relatively thin. Also, from an aesthetic standpoint, it may be desirable to provide an armrest which has a height which is substantially less than the minimum height required by safety standards and yet provides adequate safety for the vehicle occupant.